


Vexing the Villain

by AlwaysEroticWrestling, ThisGuyFvcks



Series: High Spots High [11]
Category: All Elite Wrestling, Being The Elite (Web Series), Professional Wrestling, 新日本プロレス | New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Genre: First Meetings, Gen, Highschool AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:55:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21594943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlwaysEroticWrestling/pseuds/AlwaysEroticWrestling, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisGuyFvcks/pseuds/ThisGuyFvcks
Summary: Marty Scurll is an exchange student.Nick and Matt Jackson are his host brothers.  They're terrible.______Nick stood the suitcase upright and folded his arms over his chest before giving his brother a pointed look.“So. What do we think?”“Oh I think you know.” Matt put his hands on his hips and surveyed their situation again. “Guy’s a total Melvin. I give it two weeks before we’ve got him wishing he was back having tea and crumpets with his ol mum.” Matt’s accent was neither flattering nor accurate, but it made Nick snicker anyway.“Alright. So we start tonight? He may be awake now but you know that Cracker Barrel coma is going to hit him hard.”
Series: High Spots High [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1536658
Kudos: 6





	Vexing the Villain

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is a collaborative piece between Captain Dick and ThisGuyFvcks. We had fun writing it in tandem and that's also probably why it's sorta lengthy. Part of High Spots High. The timeline is all over the place, so don't worry too much about it.  
> Poor Marty.

The thing about hosting exchange students was that it was never their idea. Somehow, this year, it felt like maybe they were being a gift though. Their reign of terror at High Spots High was at an all-time high, still climbing, and didn’t look like it was going to stop any time soon. Matt Jackson had his camera in selfie mode so he could get himself and Nick in the shot as they at in the back seat of their dad’s car. Presently, they were on their way to pick up this new kid from the airport. Why he got to start a little bit later than everyone else, was a mystery. 

“What are we doing today, Nick?” 

Shouldering his way into frame was the hat wearing Nick, looking mildly underwhelmed. “We are currently on our way to the airport to pick up our new…. Friend.” The way he said the word ‘friend’ was more than a little unenthusiastic. He threw in a rolling of his eyes to complete the look. They saw dad’s eyes look at them pointedly through the rearview mirror.

"Now, just remember boys. He may be coming from a place that speaks the same language we do, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy. Things are different here, and he is a long way from home. "  
As their dad gave them the speech, Nick tapped Matt's side with his elbow. "So. Be good boys. Okay...?"

“Course we will be!" Matt, ever the elder, piped up first.  
"That's how you raised us. To be good boys. " Nick echoed the sentiment.  
The display showed that the plane they were expecting had landed. Now it was just a matter of time.

Marty was unbelievably excited to be in America.  
Sure, some of the other exchange students were going to entirely new cultures to learn new languages.But California? That was Hollywood. Movies and music and beaches! Real beaches, with surfing and sun.

It was going to be fantastic.  
And even though the flight was almost twenty four hours, when he stepped out of baggage claim he was smiling.  
He'd miss his mum. He would.

But for a while, he'd have a new family. He was sure they'd be very nice.  
He spied a trio in the lobby, all with fairly dark long hair. The oldest and tallest had a sign with his name on it.   
Marty practically bounded over.

“So we’re just. Waiting for this-- - Oh. That’s… Probably him.” Matt pointed over Nick’s shoulder. The younger brother turned, brow furrowed. There was no mistaking it. They didn’t know this guy, but their dad seemed to be a little more relaxed when the saw this guy running over. Matt shut down his phone’s camera and stuck it in his pocket, swatting at Nick’s chest as the shorter guy with a pretty cool top-knot made his way across the baggage claim. “Dude. Check out his facial hair.” Even from a distance it looked a lot cooler than literally anyone at school that they could readily call to their mind’s eye. Nick wanted to snicker, but he held it in.   
They were good Christian boys after all. As promised. 

When the Marty finally arrived, blue suitcase thudding against the floor a little as he dropped it, he made to first embrace the taller of the three. That, he thought, must be the dad. The kids were spitting images. “I’m Marty! It’s so good to meet you! I can’t wait to be a part of your family! I promise! By the end of things, I’ll be like another one of your boys!” The hug perhaps lasted a little bit too long.

Marty pushed his fingers through his hair and turned to the two boys, smile not fading for even a moment. He looked like he wanted to hug them as well, but hung back just a little. “I’m Marty.” He repeated, like that was going to help the awkwardness that fell between the three teenagers. 

“Matt.” 

“Nick.” The two boys offered half-hearted waves with each introduction. At least until Matt caught their dad’s eyes over Marty’s head. 

With a shared glance and an internal grimace, the boys stepped forward, each giving the wide-smiling british boy a half-hug and fraternal pat on the shoulder.   
“Well, welcome to America, Marty.” Matt senior took the kid’s luggage bag. “We’re happy to have you staying with us. Right boys?”

“Definitely,” Matt agreed.

“Oh, super excited. It’ll be cool.” Nick parroted his brothers movements.  
Marty almost bounced with his own, very genuine excitement.   
“Oh! I brought things, for you. Sweets and stuff, I mean…”

“That sounds great, bud.” Their dad patted the overly-eager kid’s shoulder before he started leading the way back out to the car. “Can’t wait to see. But first, since it’s a special occasion, I thought we could all go out and introduce you to the best cuisine America has to offer…”

“Cracker Barrel!” Matt was now actually excited.  
“Oh hell yeah-”  
“NICK. Language!” Their dad chastised him quickly.   
“Sorry dad. I mean. Heck yeah.”  
Marty had absolutely no context for what a ‘cracker barrel’ was, the language barrier was already rearing its ugly head, but getting into that car, he was ready for anything. 

With full stomachs, the Jacksons and their newest addition exited the Cracker Barrel with sluggish steps. Marty’s hand rested on his stomach, as if he was attempting to hold in his innards as well as his lunch. The rocking chairs that lined the patio creaked in the breeze as they shuffled past. Their dad was already halfway to the car when Marty’s voice cut across the parking lot. 

“Hey! Guys wait-- - I told my mum I’d take pictures when I got here…” The hand that wasn’t gripping his stomach gestured towards the chairs. Three of them in a row. It seemed perfect. At least to him. Matt and Nick shared a look and rolled their eyes before turning around to march back up the wooden steps to the patio. Marty, of course, picked the middle seat and sat himself right down in it as comfortably as he could. 

Matt and Nick filed in on either side of him, stuffing their fingers in their pockets awkwardly, 25 cent candy sticks from the country store hanging out of their mouths. Their dad was smiling.

“Alright. Smile, boys!”   
The resulting picture was going to wind up being one of Marty’s favorites. Even if Matt and Nick don’t look particularly interested. It would also go on to spark an unusual tradition. At a much later date, of course. When their picture had been taken, the boys peeled themselves up from the hard rocking chairs and moved back to join Matt senior at the car. It felt like the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another, really. Because now they were headed to fully integrate Marty into their much more American way of living. 

Matt had his phone out as soon as they were in the back seat again. This time he had it trained on Marty, who seemed oblivious until Nick tapped him (tapped is perhaps too light a word, it was closer to a punch) on the shoulder and pointed at the phone in his brother’s hand. 

“Introduce yourself, Marty. C’mon! Everyone wants to know who you are, besides ‘that exchange student from England.’ We have like four of those. What makes you special?”

Marty seemed to consider for a moment, sucking on his own candy stick. “Well… My villainous good looks, innit? And I have a dog back home. His name’s Winston. Who else has a super cute dog, huh?” 

Nick cut his eyes at Matt through the phone camera. His brows raised briefly.  
“Villainous, huh?” He asked. 

“Well, yeah, like,” Marty faltered just briefly, but quickly got ahold of himself, chin sticking out confidently. “I’m. Well, I’m a bit of a rough customer. Not one to be crossed.”   
Neither brother bought it. Marty also didn’t really buy it, but he was still going to do his best.   
“But you lot don’t have to worry. We’re family, after all. Right?” He clapped each brother on the shoulder.  
The silence prolonged longer than Mr. Jackson approved of and his eyes flicked up to the rearview to stare pointedly at his two good boys in the back seat. Well. Three good boys, now. Counting Marty.   
“Right. Family. We’re family now. Don’t have to worry about… You. Being a rough… Customer…”   
“Yeah. Family.” Nick parroted before slouching back a little in his chair. Hazing Marty was going to be difficult if their dad kept making sure they were playing nice. It wasn’t that they disliked Marty. He was just new. And they had to make it very clear that they weren’t family. And that Marty was just staying with them for a little while. It was Matt and Nick’s house. Period. 

Despite these minor hiccups for the ride home, Nick actually helped pull Marty’s bag into the house. Most annoying, of all of the inconveniences that came with housing an exchange student, was the fact that they had to share their room. They already shared a room. Their bunk beds were something they’d refused to give up as they aged. But now they had to add a trundle. It would be nothing short of cramped.

The two Jackson boys made their way inside. Marty got waylaid by Mrs. Jackson in the kitchen, but Matt and Nick lugged Marty’s baggage to their room. It gave them a chance to have a little conversation about what their plans were going forward. Marty seemed hopelessly out of touch with American life or tradition or anything in that vein. And if he wasn’t, Matt and Nick could easily make him think that he might be. 

Their room wasn’t terribly small. But it was full of beds now. On one wall, their bunk beds. They took turns on the top bunk because it was such a privileged place to sleep. On the wall next to it, another bed. For Marty. Neatly made up and waiting for him. They had a closet and a dresser with two empty drawers just for Marty. Nick stood the suitcase upright and folded his arms over his chest before giving his brother a pointed look. 

“So. What do we think?”

“Oh I think you know.” Matt put his hands on his hips and surveyed their situation again. “Guy’s a total Melvin. I give it two weeks before we’ve got him wishing he was back having tea and crumpets with his ol mum.” Matt’s accent was neither flattering nor accurate, but it made Nick snicker anyway.

“Alright. So we start tonight? He may be awake now but you know that Cracker Barrel coma is going to hit him hard.” 

Matt nodded and the two brothers exchanged nefarious grins. Maybe this is why everyone bought that they were twins.   
Marty appeared in the doorway a half a second later.

“She hugs so tight that dinner almost made a second appearance,” he said cheerily. He stepped in the room and took it all in with bright eyes.

“Oh, this is so much better than the attic. And we’ll all get to be together! This is going to be great. Thanks again for bringin’ up my stuff, guys.”  
Nick shot Matt a look over Marty’s shoulder, but it was hard to pin down. “Yeah, man. No sweat. You’re family, right? Least we could do. Anyway we knew mom would hold you up.” A pause. “Least we could do.” Nick pat his tummy almost pointedly and moved to take up the bottom bunk. It was his turn on the bottom today. And tomorrow he’d be uptop. And he was sure that Matt had something planned for Marty up on the top bunk. But later. For now they had to lure Marty in. “Man. That Cracker Barrel really hit the spot…” Nick faked a yawn and settled himself back. Honestly, he probably could fall asleep here if he wanted to.   
The yawn was contagious, fake or not, and Marty echoed it. 

“...I know. Sits like cement in m’stomach.” He patted his own gut happily. The bed looked very inviting the way they’d fixed it up for him, and Marty kicked his shoes off and sat down on it.  
“Might be fun to stay up. Like a sleepover.” He blinked a few times. The last thirty six hours settled over his eyelids at once.  
Nick and Matt regarded each other in silent conversation as they watched from their own beds. 

“But,” another yawn hit Marty hard. “Suppose we have plenty of nights to do that, yeah?” He’d lay down just a few minutes. Then he’d get up and change and do a little unpacking.   
That was the idea, anyway. 

Matt turned off the overhead light as soon as Marty’s head hit the pillow, and the two brothers waited in their beds by the dim lamp light. They weren’t waiting long. In just about ten minutes, they could hear Marty’s breathing deepen.

“Hey Marty,” Matt called over in a whisper. There was no signs of life. “Oh, oh he’s out Nick.”  
Nick cracked an eyeball open and lifted himself up off of his pillow a little bit so he could take a look at their latest victim. It almost seemed wrong to do this to the kid sleeping in their spare bed. Almost. But not quite. Because this was their house, after all. And Marty was brand new, and how did he think he was going to fit in here with his accent and everything? That facial hair should be a crime. Nick couldn’t make anything grow on his chin really. Part of him worried that he’d never be able to. After a moment of making extra, double sure, that Marty was sleeping, Nick sat all the way up and leaned out from under the top bunk to swat at Matt’s knee. 

“Alright, I’m goin’ in. What, you think we give him, ten minutes and make him shit his pants?” Nick’s voice is a harsh whisper and he pops his head up over the top bunk so he can get a look at his brother before stepping back down onto the floor to slither under Marty’s bed. This, of course, would just be the first of many things they do with Marty. Matt was right. Pretty soon he’ll be begging to go back home. 

And they could have their house back. Because no one gets to just walk in like they own the place. And maybe Matt and Nick Jackson were a little bit spoiled because it’s only ever been them. But Nick wasn’t looking to change that. And neither was Matt. And that’s just how things were going to be. 

Plus it helped that their house is pretty haunted anyway. All they have to do is nudge Marty in that direction a little and he’ll be running home before the year’s out. And they’ll high-five. And it’ll just be them again. Nick settled himself on the hard floor under Marty’s bed and considered for a moment just what kind of startling he’d be doing to get Marty to scream. 

Really, the goal was to absolutely freak him out so he didn’t sleep the rest of the night, poor jet-lagged kid. Matt leaned over the top bunk and stage whispered, “Dude. Your shoes are stickin’ out, man. Pull ‘em in. I can see ‘em.” Nick grunted a little and pulled his feet in, knees hitting the wooden slats of the bed frame. He froze immediately, just in case they’d blown this whole damn thing already. Nick hoped not. Because they were just getting started. There was still a lot of fun to be had. Marty had only just gotten here, after all. 

The real challenge was drawing this whole thing out long enough for it to be satisfying, but making it quick enough that they didn’t have to deal with this idiot for too long. 

It was in the darkness under the bed that Nick heard Matt start in on the digs.   
There was an app for everything these days. And that included voice modifiers and night vision. 

Matt started out with a groan in the dark. When it didn’t stir their mark, he raised up the volume. Ever synchronized, Nick took this as his cue to give the bed a little shake from beneath it. That did the trick. Marty woke with a start and Nick immediately went still.  
They were all silent for a moment, and then Marty called quietly out into the dark.

“Matt.. Nick? ‘Sat you?” Matt, with practiced ease, feigned the deep, loud breathing of sleep.  
Marty shifted on his bed, but settled back down into it.   
Nick had to stifle a snort because he was fairly certain that Marty was still in that very vulnerable half-sleep stage and any noise from under the bed could indicate that the jig was up. All was quiet until they heard Marty slip off to sleep again. Nick poked his head out from under the bed.   
“Bring it home, Matt,” he whispered, pointed at the bed above him. These boys were very intune with each other. But that still doesn’t mean that everyone’s always on the same page. Nick was aiming for the ‘Get help. Nick’s gone missing and I think the ghost is back.’ play where Nick comes out from under the bed and scares the bajeesus out of Marty at the end and they laugh so hard mom and pop come in and see what all the fuss is. But if Matt went in a different direction… It was safe to say that Nick could, should, and would adapt. They had weeks to mess with Marty if they played their cards right. This would just be a taste of what was to come for that poor English lad. 

Matt took a long moment to center himself. Performance was everything here. He stashed his phone back under his pillow and took a breath. Then he slapped his hand loudly on the ceiling- The wall least likely to wake his parents sleeping downstairs.   
He followed it up with a loud yelp and a string of breathless ‘No no no no nos’ as he scrambled over the side of the bunk, forgoing the ladder.

Marty was bolt upright, blinking in the dark as shapes frantically moved. He scrambled for his phone and the light shot out, casting a long shadow of Matt Jackson along the wall behind where he was standing.

“Not again! No! Not Nick, give him back!” Matt crumpled to his knees. “Marty it took him! The ghost took him!”   
“Wha-what?” Marty got out of the bed, nearly tripping as his feet tangled in the blanket. He examined the very empty bottom bunk and fear gripped him.   
This whole thing would be a lot more spooky, Nick thought, if it was actually later at night, and it was dark. But it wasn’t. And maybe that was the only reason Nick didn’t feel so bad about dragging this out a little bit. Honestly, Matt deserved an award for his performance. Nick almost shed a tear under Marty’s bed. And he would have if he hadn’t known exactly who he was.

They probably shouldn’t be teasing the house like this. Because Matt and Nick knew better. This place really was haunted. Joking about having Nick taken was probably going to open the door for actual paranormal experience. They’d had a couple already. But never ones as intense as what Matt was suggesting. 

Marty was incredibly confused. And afraid, now. Especially at the mention of a ghost. He’d only barely gotten here, he’d just woken up, and already something was horribly wrong. 

“Are-- - Are you sure? Are you sure he didn’t get up and-- - Go to the bathroom or something?”  
Matt hid his face in his hands and wailed, making sure to muffle the sound enough that their dad wouldn’t immediately bust in and ruin the moment.   
“No, Marty, it’s happened before! It’s just like Malachi!” He pounded a fist on the bottom bunk. “It took him. From this very room. From.. .. From under there...” He pointed a shaking hand underneath Marty’s bed. 

Nick bit his bottom lip to keep from snickering as his moment was approaching.   
Matt grabbed onto the bewildered British boy’s arm tightly.   
“You have to look for him! It- It goes after my family, I can’t do it. Don’t let ‘em take Nick, too!”   
Marty’s hands started shaking as he watched where Matt was pointing.

“I felt it move,” he murmured, chest starting to tighten.   
Living in an attic bedroom, he’d had his share of frightening moments and strange sounds growing up. But he always told himself that it was just the sounds of a creaking old house, or the wind. That he didn’t actually believe but. There was always something in the back of his mind that worried.

But Matt was hysterical. Marty swallowed.   
“I’ll- I’ll look. Yeah, I’ll look-” Marty nodded. He couldn’t let his new friends down.  
It took everything that Nick had not to move and blow this whole thing. Of course, as soon as he saw Marty’s fingers reaching under the bed, the jig was up. Nick couldn’t just disappear. What he could do, however, was twist his face up and roll his eyes all the way back into his head and make a horrible noise that didn’t really sound human. Nick wiggled a little until he was certain that Marty saw him. 

The only reason he knew Marty had seen him was because of the ungodly shriek that came from their new friend. Marty reared back all the way, falling over to land on Matt, swatting at him a couple times while attempting to possibly assimilate himself into Matt’s person. The whites of Nick’s eyes glinted in the half-light as he emerged from under the bed slowly. 

“Marty--- -” it was a wheeze squeezed from somewhere deep inside Nick’s chest. Nick didn’t drop the act until Matt dropped Marty back onto the floor. Nick straightened himself and raised an eyebrow, relaxing now. Matt was laughing, Nick snickered. But it was short-lived. That was, perhaps, too mean. Because Marty was looking absolutely terrified and confused. Nick glanced towards the door and frowned before picking himself up off the floor. “Dad’s coming. You really did it, Marty, huh?” The least he could do was help him up. 

Marty got to his feet, but hadn’t gained his wits about him yet when the door opened to reveal Mr. Jackson.   
“Everything alright in here?” He looked at his sons first. Matt and Nick nodded in unison.

“Yeah pop.”

“Sorry. We were just horsin’ around.”  
Marty stammered when the older man turned his way.  
“Uh. Yeah? Yeah it’s fine…?” He looked to the Jackson boys, who encouraged him with subtle nods. “Ha. Just… Laughin’ about’s all. Sorry for the noise.”

Mr. Jackson seemed to accept this answer with a degree of dubiousness.   
“Okay. Well… You boys need to get back to bed. T’s Marty’s first day in the morning and he needs some sleep. So settle down.” He shut their door again, and after they all listened to retreating feet down the steps, Matt spoke up.

“Good job Marty!” He clapped him on the shoulder, hard enough Marty slumped forward some. Nick repeated the action on the other side.  
“Thanks? That was… Just a practical joke eh? A rib?” He asked.  
“Well. No…” Nick made eye contact with Matt over Marty’s shoulder.  
“...It was. More like a drill,” Matt finished. “In case it happens again.”  
“We had another brother, Malachi. He disappeared one night, because of the ghost.”  
“Or ‘ghosts’, probably. We’re super haunted.”   
Matt moved to climb back into his bed, and Nick followed into his own.  
Marty was left listening in the middle of the room.  
“Poor Malachi. Dad doesn’t like to talk about it or anything… It was pretty hard for us all to get over though.”  
“It’s probably fine. It probably won’t happen again. Besides, at least it means there was an empty bed for you, right Marty?” Nick turned on his side.  
“Uh… Yeah….” Marty looked at the hand-me-down bed and cautiously crawled back into it. 

Matt smiled to himself.  
“Well. G’night Marty. Sleep well!” 

He did not.


End file.
